Formation test tool packer setting tool



Jan. 27, 1959 F. F. MooRE 2,

FORMATION was; TOOL PACKER SETTING TOOL Filed Sept. 25, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. 10101:]? $00119, v

1 4 62 J v n v F/Y/ ///K////// 0 u /A /A 5 I In R u I i BY United StatesPatent FORMATION TEST TOOL PACKER SETTING TOOL Fennon F. Moore, CarrizoSprings, Tex. Application September 25, 1956, Serial No. 611,935

4 Claims. (Cl. 166-185) 'In making tests at diflerent levels within anoil well, the conventional practice is to lower a formation test tool,which can be of various types. The test tool in- 'Heretofore, to set orexpand the packer, it has been.

necessary to use various expedients which have not proved satisfactory.in some instances, wall hooks are used, or other anchoring means. Inother instances, a tail pipe is" used, extending to the bottom of thehole. The use of a tail pipe is not fully satisfactory, since itprevents the swift and accurate locating of the packerat differentlevels within the hole, or the changing of the levels at which thepacker is set, during the making of a succession of tests.

Further, any apparatus such as a wall hook, that engages in the wall ofthe hole is unsatisfactory, due to the fact that there is a tendency ofthe entire structure to slide down the hole.

It has been proposed, in this regard, to utilize a formation test toolfor the purpose of making tests at selective zones within the hole, saidtool to test at any level without the aid of a tail pipe. However, sucha tool employs dogs, that hook into the wall of the hole and here again,the

tendency of the tool to slidedown the hole arises. Fur

met", the use of dogs of this type involves the use of wall springs, forthe purpose of setting the dogs, and this tends to disable thestructure, so far as rotation of the drill pip isconc erned when thestructure is being pulled from the hole. 7 v

The tendency of tools previously devised to slide down the hole arisesfrom the fact that the weight of the drill pipe itself is used to setthe packer.

Thema-in object of the present invention, in View of the 'difiicultieswhich have heretofore arisen, is to provide a tool for setting thepacker of a formation te st tool that willoperate without the use ofwall hooks or other anchoring devices, without the use of a tail pipe,withoutrneans that would tend-to prevent rotation of the drill pipe whenthe tool is being removed from the hole; and without necessity ofemploying the weight of the drill pipe to set the packer. p

Aiiother object of importance is'to' provide a packer setting tool forformation test assemblies, so designed as to permit the setting of thepacker with maximum speed and ease, and further designed to permit thecontraction or unsetting of the packer with equal facility.

A further object is to provide a tool of the type referred to, designedto set the packer through the use of the hydrostatic head pressurealready needed for the purpose of tiiaking the necessary tests.Heretofore, although a hydrostatic head pressure has been needed in theuse of formation tests assemblies, said pressure has not been employedfor the purpose of setting the packer of the assembly.

Still another object is to provide a device of the character referred tothat can be employed in connection with any of various test toolsalready in use with little or no modification of said testing tools.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claimsappended thereto, and from the annexed.

drawing in which like reference characters designate like partsthroughout the several views and wherein:

Figure l is a longitudinal section through a formation testing devicepacker setting tool formed according to the present invention, connectedto the formation testing de-- vice and to the packer associated withsaid device, a: packer-expanding pistonbeing shown in its retractedposition and the packer being fully contracted, the several partsappearing as they would on lowering of the tool into a hole preliminaryto setting of the packer;

Figure 2 is an enlarged, longitudinal section through the packer settingtool constituting the present invention, the formation test device andpacker being broken away;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the same scale as Figure 2,showing the formation test. device and packer with the piston extendedand the packer set against the.

wall of the hole;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section showing the lower portion of thepacker setting tool constituting the present invention and the upperportion of the formation test device with the piston advanced;

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Figure 3;

Figure 8 is a section on line 88 of Figure 3;

Figure 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Figure 2;

Figure 10 is a section on line 10-10 of Figure 1;

Figure 11 is a section on line 11-11 of Figure 14;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the rotatableconnection between the packer setting means and the formation testdevice;

Figure 13 is a section on line 1313 of Figure 12; and

Figure 14 is a longitudinal section showing the portion of the formationtestdevice in which the piston is mounted, the piston being in itsadvanced position and the device being rotated to permit escape ofpressure fluid past the piston for equalizing the pressure on both sidesthereof to permit contraction of the packer.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it designates a drill pipe whichwould extend to the top of the hole'.

The formation test device packer setting tool constituting the presentinvention has been generally designated at 11 and is connected to aconventional formation test device generally designated 13.

T he tool constituting the present invention includes an outer casing 12of cylindrical formation, having a threaded tool joint connection at itsupper end to the lower end of the drill pipe 1i Formed in outer casing12 (Figure l) is a threaded axial bore, and thread edly engaged in thebore is a housing 1 E of inverted cup shape for a vertically shiftable,axially disposed disc breaker bar or plunger 16. The closed, upper endof housing 14 has a center opening in which the plunger 16 is slidablyengaged intermediate the ends of the plunger. Engaged in the centeropening (Figures 1 and 10) is an O-ring l8 sealably bearing against theplunger The upper end of the plunger has a head 20, disposed within thedrill pipe 10. Normally the plunger is in its upper position shown inFigure 1. However, a bar 21 (Figure 2) may be lowered from the surfaceWithin the drill pipe 10, to engage the head 20, for the pur ing thesame as shown in Figure 2.

pose of shifting the plunger downwardly to its lowered, Figure 2position. In this position, the head 26 engages against the closed,upper end of plunger housing 14. Head 20 is threaded onto the upper endof the elongated body of the plunger '16, and may be locked in positionby a set screw 22 (Figure 2) if desired. This, however, is notessential. The head could be integral with the elongated body of theplunger.

At its lower end, the plunger is provided, within housing 14, with atapered or pointed head 26.

Formed in the wall of the plunger housing intermediate theends of theplunger housing is a pair of diametrically opposed ports 28, the purposeof which will be made presently apparent. These ports are incommunication with the upper ends of diametrically opposed longitudinalpassages 30 formed in casing 12, the passages 30 opening at their lowerends into a passage 31 extending diametrically of the casing 12.

The casing 12 has an axially extending chamber 32, and opening into saidchamber are diametrically opposed, radially extending inlet ports 34.The mud or fluid in the hole i adapted to enter the device through theinlet ports 34, that is, the mud or fluid surrounding the device passesinto the chamber 32 through these inlet ports, filling the chamber belowa frangible disc 36 separating chamber 32 from the interior of theplunger housing 14.

Therefore, when bar 21 is dropped, the plunger 16 will be shifteddownwardly from its Figure l to its Figure 2 position. The pointed head26 thereof will pass through the frangible partition or disc 36, break-Therefore, the mud or fluid that has filled the chamber 32 is now freeto pass upwardly into the interior of the plunger housing 14. Said fluidthen passes through the ports 28 into the longitudinal passages 30, andthen into the diametrically extending passage 31.

Angularly spaced 90 degrees from the respective longitudinal passages30, within the casing 12, are longitudinal passages 33. These open atone end into the drill pipe above the plunger housing 14. At their lowerends, they open into communication with a passage provided in theformation test setting device, for the purpose of carrying the testfluid back to the surface. These passages are shown in dotted lines inFigures 1 and 2; they are also shown in full lines in Figure 4, becauseFigure 4 is a longitudinal section in which the cutting plane is atright angles to the plane of Figures 1 and 2.

In the lower end of casing 12 there is formed a threaded opening andengaged in said opening is the upper end of a tube 40. This extendsaxially of casing 12 beyond the externally threaded or male lower end ofthe casing 12. Tube 40 at its upper end communicates with thediametrical passage 31.

The formation test device 13 is per se conventional, and a typicaldevice of this type is shown. The packer setting tool constituting theinvention can be used either with the test device 13 illustrated, orwith various other test devices presently employed. If used with othertest devices, the tube 40 might not follow a path axial of the testdevice, but instead may follow a diiferent path, it being mainlyimportant that it be connected at its lower end in communication withthe test fluid passages of the testing device.

The formation testing device 13 includes a casing 42 connected to thelower end of casing 12. In casing 42 there are formed upwardlyconverging passages 44 communicating with the lower end of tube 40.Passages 44 at their lower, divergent ends communicate withlongitudinal, diametrically opposed passages 46 of device 13.

In the casing 42, below the divergent ends of passages 44, an axiallyextending chamber 47 is provided. This has diametrically opposed grooves48 (Figures 1 t 4 1 and 4) formed in its wall. Passages 46 are passagesthrough which pressure fluid is forced for advancing a piston slidablewithin chamber 47. Passages 48 are angularly spaced degrees from therespective passages 46.

The piston has been designated at 56 and is shown in retracted positionin Figure l and in advanced position in Figures 3, 4, and 14. The pistonhas a center opening, receiving an axial tube 52 mounted in the casing42. Tube 52 is engaged at its upper end in a recess formed at the upperend of the chamber 47 and communicating with said recess are passages 54(Figure 4) for the test fluid, said test fluid flowing upwardly throughthe tube 52.

To prevent leakage between tube 52 and the axial bore formed in piston50 for receiving the tubes, O-rings 56 are mounted in the wall of thepiston bore surrounding tube 52. t

In the piston there are provided diametrically 'opposed passages 58, theupper ends of which communicate with radial passages 60 opening upon theouter wall of the piston, 50. At their lower ends, passages 58communicate with the lower ends of passages 46. Therefore, pressurefluid traveling downwardly through passages 46 will move into thepassages 58 and will force the piston upwardly within chamber 47 fromits Figure l to its Figure 4 or 14 position.

Integral with the piston and extending axially within the formation testcasing is an elongated, axially bored stem 62. Stem 62 and piston 50,and also tube 52 constitute apart of the packer setting tool 11, ratherthan a part of the formation test device 13.

.Stem 62 projects downwardly a substantial distance,

' through an axial bore of a block 64 having. a threaded connection atits upper end to the lower end of the casing 42 of the formation testdevice 13. At the lower. end of block 64 there is provided a ball race66 (Figures 1 and 13), and below the ball race is a support body 68 fora packer.

At-the lower end of block 64 there is provided a depending tongue 70extending circumferentially of block 64 (Figure 13) throughapproximately 90 degrees. This is disposed in a circumferentiallyextending slot 72 of body 68, said slot extending through degrees. Thesupport body 68 and block 64 are thus relatively rotatable through 90degrees- A packer 74 is per se conventional, and is radially expandableinto engagement with the wall of the well hole. Below the packer thereis provided bottom block 76, axially bored in communication with stem 62and formed with a threaded recess in which the lower end of stem 62 isengaged.

Referring to Figure 3, the packer is shown expanded into engagement withthe wall 78 of the well hole 80, so that a fluid test can be made at alevel below the packer.

In use, and assuming that a test is to be made at a particular levelwithin the hole, the entire device, appearing as in Figure l, is loweredinto the hole so that the inlet to the bore of bottom block 76 is at thedesired level.

Then bar 21 is dropped from the surface and strikes the plunger 16,forcing the plunger through frangible disc 36.

At this time, the mud or fluid hole will have entered the chamber 32through ports 34. The pressure within chamber 32 may be varied accordingto the depth of the hole and the weight of the fluid therein.

On breaking of disc 36, hydrostatic fluid, as previously noted in thisdescription, will now be free to flow upwardly into the plunger housing14. Said fluid passes through ports 28 and then down through passages 30into passage 31, thereafter travelling downwardly within tube 40, topass through the test tool 13. As the fluid passes out of the tube 40 itmoves downwardly through divergent passages 44 (see Figure 1) and thendown through passages 46. Fluid then moves upwardly within passages 58of the piston 50 and exerts pressure upon the piston shifting the sameupwardly to the Figure 3 position thereof. This is due to the fact thatas'of this moment, the fluid cannot escape through the radial ports 60of the piston, since these ports are closed by the wall of the pistonchamber during the setting of the packer 74.

Upward movement of the piston will cause the packer to be expanded fromits Figure l to its Figure 3 position. The test tool is now ready to beopened. The test fluid moves forwardly through bottom block 76, stem 62,into tube 52 (see Figure 4). Leaving tube 52 the test fluid travelsupwardly in Figure 4 through the upwardly divergent passages 54 of testtool casing 42. Thereafter, the fluid flows about tube 40 upwardlywithin the lower end of casing 12 of the invention and now travelsupwardly through passages 38 of casing 12 which, as previously noted,are angularly spaced 90 degrees from the passages 30 of this casing (seeFigure 6). Leaving passages 38, the fluid travels upwardly within thedrill pipe 10 to thesurface.

After the test has been obtained and the packer is to be collapsed, thedrill pipe is rotated. The packer remains stationary since it istightlyengaged against the wall of the drill hole.

Rotation of the drill stem will cause rotation of block 64 relative tothe packer. Said rotation is through 90 degrees, as previously described(see Figure 13).

Since bottom block 76 is fixedly connected to the piston through themedium of the elongated stem 62, and is further connected to the packeragainst rotation relative to the packer, the piston 50 will not rotatewhen the block 64, test tool 13, and packer setting tool 11 arerotatedwith the string of drill pipe.

Therefore, and referring now to Figure 14, ports 60 become aligned withthe longitudinal grooves 48 formed in the wall of the piston chamber;

Therefore, the hydrostatic head of pressure bearing against theunderside of the piston within passages 58 is equalized above the pistonwithin the piston chamber. This is so because said pressure now escapesthrough ports 60 and grooves 48 into the portion of the chamber abovethe piston.

Since the pressure is equalized both above and below the piston thepacker now returns to its original, contracted condition shown in Figure1 to permit retrieving of the entire device from the hole.

The device would of course be slightly modified when used withtest toolsother than the particular one shown. Tube 40, for example, may comprisemore than one tube, it being mainly important that it discharge thefunctions previously described herein of permitting hydrostatic fluidpressure to be directed from the test tool to below the piston foradvancing the piston.

Further, it will be understood that the collapsing pressures required onthe packer will be varied according to the particular situation, withsaid pressure being determined according to the depth in which the testis to be made, the pressure of the mud, and the size of the piston. seand can be readily made by those working in the art.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confinedto the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may beutilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the inventionto be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated andde scribed, since such construction is only intended to be illustrativeof the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehendsany minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scopeof the appended claims. i

What is claimed is:

1. The combination, with a tool for sampling fluids from strataencountered in a well hole, and with a drill pipe for lowering said toolinto the hole, of a packing and packing setting device comprising: alongitudinally con- All these calculations are well known per.

tractile, radially expandablepacker having an upper end limited againstupward movement by the lower end of said tool; a piston connected to thelower end of and extending above the packer, said tool having a cylinderin which the piston works and having a passage opening at one end intosaid cylinder, said cylinder having a longitudinal chamber and thepiston being movable longitudinally of and within the chamber, thepiston having an upper portion in wiping contact with the wall of saidchamber and facing downwardly into the lower partof the chamber, saidpassage opening into the chamber through the wall thereof below saidupper portion of the piston; a casing aligned longitudinally with andinter posed between the tool and drill pipe, said casing being connectedat its ends to the tool and drill pipe respectively and having a boreconstituting a second passage, said second passage communicating at oneend, through the Wall otthe casing, with a surrounding well hole spacein which drilling fluid is confined under pressure, the second passageat its other end communicating with the other end of said first passage,whereby said drilling fluid, wheneverpermitted to enter the secondpassage, will flow therethrough and through the first passage underpressure to enter .the lower part of the chamber and impinge against theunderside of said upper portion of the piston to shift thesame upwardlyfor radially expanding the packer a frangible seal extending across thesecond passage to normally prevent the flow of the drilling fluid to thepiston, the drill pipe having an axial bore communicating with saidsecond passage; and means mounted in the drill pipe and second passagefor movement against the seal to rupture the same.

2. The combination, with a tool for sampling fluids from strataencountered in a Well hole, and with a drill pipe for lowering said toolinto the hole, of a packing and packing setting device comprisingzalongitudinally contractile, radially expandable packer having an upperend limited against upward movement by the lower end of said tool; apiston connected to the lower end of and extending above the packer,said tool having a cylinder in which the piston works and having apassage opening at one end into said cylinder, said cylinder having alongitudinal chamber and the piston being movable longitudinally of andwithin the chamber, the piston having an upper portion in wiping contactwith the wall of said chamber and facing downwardly into the lower partof the chamber, said passage opening into the chamber through the wallthereof below said upper portion of the piston; a casing alignedlongitudinally with and interposed between the tool and drill pipe, saidcasing being connected at its ends to the tool and drill piperespectively and having a bore constituting a second passage, saidsecond passage communicating at one end, through the wall of the casing,with a surrounding well hole space in which drilling fluid is confinedunder pressure, the second passage at its other end communicating withthe other end of said first passage, whereby said drilling fluid,whenever permitted to enter the second passage, will flow therethroughand through the first passage under pressure to enter the lower part ofthe chamber and impinge against the underside of said upper portion ofthe piston to shift the same upwardly for radially expanding the packer;a frangible seal extending across the second passage to normally preventthe flow of the drilling fluid to the piston, the drill pipe having anaxial bore communicating with said second passage; and a plunger mountedin the drill pipe bore and second! passage for movement, under thecontrol of a worker, against the seal .to rupture the same.

3. The combination, with a tool for sampling fluids from strataencountered in a well hole, and with a drill pipe for lowering said toolinto the hole,-of a packing and packing setting device comprising: alongitudinally contractile, radially expandable packer having an upperend limited against upward movement by the lower end of said tool; apiston connected to the lower end of and extending above the packer,said tool having a cylinder in which the piston Works and having apassage opening at one end into said cylinder, said cylinder having alongitudinal chamber and the piston being movable longitudinally of andwithin the chamber, the piston having an upper portion in wiping contactwith the wall of said chamber and facing downwardly into the lower partof the chamber, said passage opening into the chamber through the wallthereof below said upper portion of the piston; a casing alignedlongitudinally with and interposed between the tool and drill pipe, saidcasing being connected at its ends to the tool and drill piperespectively and having a bore constituting a second passage, saidsecond passage communicating at one end, through the wall of the casing,with a surrounding well hole space in which drilling fluid is confinedunder pressure, the second passage at its other end communicating withthe other end of said first passage, whereby said drilling fluid,whenever permitted to enter the second passage, will flow therethroughand through the first passage under pressure to enter the lower part ofthe chamber and impinge against the underside of said upper portion ofthe piston to shift the same upwardly for radially expanding the packer;a frangible seal extending across the second passage to normally preventthe How of the drilling fluid to the piston, the drill pipe having anaxial bore. communicating with said second passage; and means mounted inthe drill pipe and second passage for movement against the seal torupture the same, said casing, tool, piston, and packer havingcornrnunicating conduits constituting a third passage through whichfluid samples may be extracted from the hole, said third passage beingwholly out of communication with the first and second passages andextending into communication with the drill pipe bore from a locationbelow the packer.

'4. The combination, with a tool for sampling fluids from strataencountered in a well hole, and with a drill pipe for lowering said toolinto the hole, of a packing and packing setting device comprising: alongitudinally contractile, radially expandable packer having an upperend limited against upward movement by the lower end of said tool; apiston connected to the lower end of and extending above the packer,said tool having'a cylinder in which the piston works and having apassage opening at one end into said cylinder, said cylinder having alongitudinal chamber and the piston being movable longitudinally of andwithin the chamber, the piston having an upper portion in wiping contactwith the wall of said chamber and facing downwardly into the lower partof the chamber, said passage opening into the chamber through the Wallthereof below said upper portion of the piston; a casing alignedlongitudinally with and interposed between the tool and drill pipe, saidcasing being connected at its ends to the tool and drill piperespectively and having a bore constituting a second passage, saidsecond passage communicating at one end, through the wall of the casing,with a surrounding well hole space in which drilling fluid is confinedunder pressure, the second passage at its other end communicating withthe other end of said first passage,vwhereby said drilling fluid,whenevervpermitted to enter the second passage, will flowtherethroughand through the first passage under pressure to enter thelower part of the chamber and impinge against the underside of saidupper portion of the piston to shift the same upwardly for radiallyexpanding the packer; a frangible seal extending across the secondpassage to normally prevent the flow of the drilling fluid to thepiston, the drill pipe having an axial bore communicating with saidsecond passage; and

means mounted in the drill pipe and second passage for movement againstthe seal to rupture the same, said tool and piston being connected forrelative rotation, said upper portion of the piston having portscommunicating with the lower part of said chamber, the Wall of saidchamber being formed with ports communicating with the part of thechamber above the upper portion ofthe piston, said ports of the chamberand of the piston communicating with each other in one position to whichthe tool is rotated relative to the piston so as to provide,

in said one position of the piston, communication between the upper andlower parts of the chamber, thus to relieve pressure at both sides ofthe piston for longitudinally expanding the packer from said contractedcondition thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,227,731 Lynes Jan. 7, 1941 2,694,453 Longeval Nov. 16, 1954 2,715,444Fewal Aug. 16, 1955 2,742,968 Hildebrandt Apr. 24, 1956

